


Fangs

by Foxtrotbeastbot



Series: Cop and Baker [13]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Mild discrimination, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 08:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17546246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxtrotbeastbot/pseuds/Foxtrotbeastbot
Summary: It's Picture day at the Precinct, but Felicity has a little problem.





	Fangs

“Alright everyone, come on, gather around!” An armadillo called, his voice echoing in the precinct lobby. “Officers Trunkaby and McHorn, at the back please. Smaller mammals closer to the front.”

It was time for the yearly precinct group picture, a tradition in the ZPD. Officers and their spouses all had their pictures taken at the office as a show of camaraderie. Or something like that. Felicity Brush shook her head as she watched Bogo bellowing orders around and chivying mammals into place.

“Clawhauser! Forget the donuts and get over here!”

“But, Chieeeef! Felicity made the strawberry shortcake kind!”

“NOW!!!”

Huffing and puffing, the rotund feline ran over to the middle row with his husband, grinning sheepishly. The photographer shook his head with a chuckle.

“Okay, We’re just about ready.” He said. “Chief Bogo, if you’d just pick up your lady love we can get started.”

Bogo nodded, bending down and extending one bulky forearm to Felicity. Seating herself primly upon it, she looked towards the camera as Bogo stood straight.

“Is this good Mr. Rowlands?” She asked, giving her bangs a last second fluffing. Mr. Rowlands nodded.

“Perfect. Okay folks, big smiles!” He fiddled with the viewfinder a moment. “And in 3...2...1! Great! A couple more....good! Mr. Clawhauser, could we get an arm around your husband? Awesome!” Picture after picture was snapped before he paused, looking at the display screen.

“Hmmm. Ms. Brush, can we get a bigger smile please?”

Confused, Felicity pulled the corners of her mouth a bit higher, her lips still closed. Mr. Rowlands shook his head.

“No no, bigger! I want radiant laughter and you’re giving me mild content. Come on, show us some teeth!”

Felicity froze, her smile dropping completely.

“My...my teeth? Oh. No. I’m afraid that’s not possible.” She said firmly. The armadillo cocked his head.

“What, do you have some missing teeth? Its fine, I can photoshop them in later-“

“No, my teeth are fine.” Felicity said suddenly. “I just don’t want to show them.” Her ears fell back as the photographer gave an exasperated huff.

“Ms. Brush, It’s not a big thing to ask. Just give me a proper grin and it’ll be over!”

“I’m sorry...” Felicity mumbled. “But I can’t.” She was starting to shake, her tail lashing nervously. Bogo patted her hip in concern, whispering.

“Hey, you okay love?” Felicity shook her head slightly. Many of the other officers looked at her with concern. Mr. Rowlands tapped a paw impatiently.

“Really now, I DO have other appointments today Ms. Brush, and you’re wasting my time. Can you please just-”

“Hey! Back off will you?” Snapped Nick from the front row. “If she doesn’t want to show her teeth, she doesn’t have to.”

“Yeah, it’s up to her.” Nodded McHorn. “Now get on with the picture taking.”

Mr. Rowlands sputtered for a moment, looking between the frowning officers and the shivering vixen, then gathered his camera from its tripod.

“Well, I think I have enough photos to be getting on with. You can disperse now.”

As the other officers moved away, Felicity jumped down from Bogo’s arm, her ears pressed flat to her head. Bogo was instantly kneeling to her level, having recognized the signs of distress in his fiancé.

“Feli. Love, what is it?” He crooned gently, stroking her ears. Felicity ducked from under his hoof and backed off, hugging herself.

“I-I’m sorry Martin...I didn’t mean to ruin it.” She babbled. “I just...I can’t show my teeth.”

“Honey, what are you talking about? You’ve shown me your teeth plenty of times.”

“She means in public, Sir.”

Bogo looked behind him to find Nick Wilde, standing with his arms crossed.

“What are you on about, Wilde?” Bogo snorted.

“Sir, with all due respect, what does it look like when you show your teeth to the public?”

“Nothing, what-“

“And what does it look like when I do this?” Continued Nick, flashing a wide grin and showing off a good deal of his teeth. Bogo frowned. If he didn’t know Wilde as well as he did, he’d think he was baring his teeth...Oh. Nick nodded, seeing that Bogo had put the pieces together.

“Yeah.  Happens to a lot of Preds. We flash a grin, and someone thinks we’re a threat. No matter how big or small we are. And from what I know of Felicity there, she went to...St. Marian’s Academy for Girls, right Fel?”

Felicity nodded mutely.

“See Chief, that school may be better now, but back when Fel and I were kits, a lot of public schools were adamant that pred kids weren’t allowed to show their fangs. To anyone. Private schools like St. Marian’s were way stricter. I usually just got a detention. What’d you get for smiling Fel?”

Felicity swallowed a few times before muttering.

“A warning, then detention with a muzzle on. If it happened a third time, I had to wear the muzzle all day.”

“Uh huh. Learned pretty quick to keep your lips closed when you smiled, huh?”

Felicity nodded. Bogo swept her up into a warm hug, nuzzling her.

“Sweetheart, I’m sorry...I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault Martin. I never bothered to tell you...I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

“It is to me. If I had known, I would have told Rowlands off myself. Hmph, we won’t be hiring him for our wedding photos, that’s for sure.”

Nick, having watched the conversation, quickly turned on his heel and strolled off to find his favorite bunny. Maybe now that The Chief knew what happened to preds who showed their teeth, Nick might see a few less muzzled preds being walked into the precinct every day.


End file.
